Asian Resource Hub: Uniting Data and Community
In response to the alarming surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, a groundbreaking initiative was launched on February 29th, the Asian Resource Hub. This unique digital platform, developed through a collaboration between Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC), and Microsoft, aims to tackle the pressing issues faced by the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. In a press conference by Ethnic Media Services, representatives of the organizations involved explained how this platform works, the effort behind it and what they hope to achieve.
The creation of the Asian Resource Hub was inspired by a survey conducted during the pandemic, revealing a lack of support for victims of discrimination and harassment in the San Gabriel Valley. Connie Chung Joe emphasized, “Even though these community services exist, we realized our community members didn’t know how to find these organizations and get the help they needed.” This is why, at the core of the platform, there’s the mission of connecting communities with culturally competent resources that can assist them if they face discriminatory situations. This directory includes a list of organizations that can be narrowed down by location and type of service. Currently listed are more than 60 organizations in over 21 states that provide a variety of services including legal assistance, social services, civic engagement opportunities. These, as well as the rest of the hub, are available in Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean and Vietnamese. However, this is not the only purpose of the hub. It also aims to raise awareness through data visualization, storytelling and interactive data, users are immersed in the narrative of anti-Asian hate incidents, from historical legislation to recent events like the Atlanta shooting of March 2021. John C. Yang, leading the efforts at Advancing Justice | AAJC, emphasized the community-focused nature of the hub, stating, “Too often our stories go untold or are told without our communities in mind.” For instance, it includes a Timeline and Trends that provides the history of legislation that targets anti-Asian communities like the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, the process Hawaiian Colonization, the murder of Vincent Chin, as well as of the post-COVID-19 events like rhetoric by policy makers or the Atlanta shooting of March 2021. Moreover, it provides resources to better navigate the data with animations, personal narratives, quick data points, interactive data visualizations powered by Microsoft’s PowerBI that allows to use filter, tables, and maps in an intuitive way. Merisa Heu-Weller, General Manager of Technology for Fundamental Rights at Microsoft, emphasized the role of data in empowering communities, stating, “By understanding and analyzing data, we can provide insights for community members to better understand what is happening in the neighborhoods where they live, work, and play.” Microsoft’s expertise in data analytics, combined with the community-focused approach of AJSOCAL and Advancing Justice – AAJC, has led to the creation of a comprehensive resource hub. It also provides data differentiators to cover the differences between Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, which while often share similar challenges, also have significant differences. Most importantly, the hub provides an option for Community reporting with partner organizations as well as personal narratives to further understand the experiences that some of the members of the AAPI community have faced. The Asian Resource Hub not only provides vital support services but also empowers users with knowledge and insights to combat anti-Asian hate. The hub is poised to become a valuable resource for the AAPI community nationwide. Accessible at asianresourcehub.org, this digital platform stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing pressing social issues. |